Here we provide background information about the Festival itself and about its island setting. The Festival is an ideal time to visit Orkney, to see more of the islands and their wealth of history, archaeology and natural beauty. The Festival programme includes outings with expert guidance, talks with new insights, and an opportunity to meet many people, local and visiting. There are also opportunities to sample Orkney food and drink in what is overall a true Festival atmosphere.

FRONTIERS magazine
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You can get more information about the Festival in a variety of ways, and you can also contact us direct.

The Reel

The Reel on Broad Street is the venue for the Festival Club and it is really an atmospheric setting at any time of day.

In fact, it is probably the nearest that Orkney gets to the atmosphere of a Viennese coffeehouse. There are interesting items around, with musical instruments and music books and CDs. There is the cosy atmosphere with traditional music in the background, so that you can go there and chat in a group or find a corner and catch up with your emails.

And there also the mirrors, reflecting coffee machines and people and giving the whole place an additional dimension.

The Reel is the outcome of a vision by Orkney musicians Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley. They have been touring the world for a number of years, getting tremendous responses from audiences in many countries, but they wanted to put more of themselves into the community they came from and encourage talent in the next generation, so all day long the rooms in the building resound with the sounds of music teaching.

You can enjoy morning, lunch, or an afternoon tea, and then come back after the talks to have a drink, hear some music, and enjoy meeting some of the other Festival-goers. You can find out more on their website, or just go along – it’s situated on Broad Street, close by the Cathedral.